The New York Giants opened their 2023 NFL preseason schedule with a 21-16 loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Friday night.
Here are seven quick takeaways from the game.
Woe is the offensive line
The Giants sat both starting tackles (Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal) as well as right guard Mark Glowinski and it showed.
The offensive line, sans rookie center John Michael Schmitz, was an unmitigated mess, especially at guard.
Tackle Korey Cunningham — who was the only Giant to play every offensive snap in the game — was just plain awful and may have played his way out of East Rutherford.
Guard Ben Bredeson, who is listed on the depth chart as a starter, struggled, as did backup tackle Matt Peart and just about every other lineman they put in.
Wyatt Davis, a guard, was tried at tackle. To put it kindly, the experiment didn’t work.
This unit needs to improve vastly and quickly.
Jason Pinnock has arrived
Training camp hero Jason Pinnock got the start at safety and immediately made his presence known, picking off a pass on the first play of the game and then following it up with a tackle for a loss and two pass breakups in just a five-play outing.
Pinnock came into the game the favorite to start next to Xavier McKinney in the Giants’ defensive backfield and appears to have solidified that role. It’s his job to lose.
Tommy DeVito can play
The undrafted rookie free agent out of Illinois by way of Syracuse who played his high school ball at local powerhouse Don Bosco Prep, put his name on the map with a strong, poised performance.
Operating behind a slipshod offensive line, Tommy DeVito logged in some decent stats (15 of 24 for 155 yards and a touchdown), moved well in the pocket, and made good decisions in his NFL debut.
It may not matter how well he plays this preseason if the Giants keep only two quarterbacks, but at least they know he can play now.
Eric Gray impressed
Eric Gray, the rookie out of Oklahoma, didn’t have much of a chance running behind some poor blocking but showed some moves and poise in his eight offensive touches on the night.
Where Gray can really help this team is as a returner. On Friday, he ran back three kickoffs for a total of 62 yards and handled two punts.
Slot receivers
We know the Giants are stocked at slot receiver and that some of them were going to have to play in this game.
Veteran Cole Beasley led the way with four receptions for 33 yards and another vet, Jamison Crowder, caught two passes for a total of 32 yards.
It is going to be a dogfight at slot receiver the rest of the summer but these two made their cases for roster spots very clearly on Friday night.
Banks and Hawkins
The two rookie corners — first-round pick Deonte Banks and sixth-rounder Tre Hawkins III — saw quite a bit of action in the game and both appeared to have held their own.
Hawkins made a total of five tackles on the night but had a few hiccups in between. All in all, he looked solid in his first taste of NFL action.
Banks was competitive and made several plays, including a pass breakup against tight end Chase Cota, in which he was clearly fouled in the process.
Injuries
The Giants suffered a few injuries in the game. Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott left the game early in the threw quarter with an abdominal issue and wide receiver Collin Johnson left with a knee injury.
“I don’t (know),” head coach Brian Daboll said when asked about the status of both injuries.
“I haven’t even talked to the trainers yet. Other than just on the field they told me they were out. Collin, I think was his knee, and I got to see what it was for Flott. (Giants CB) Nick (McCloud)’s stomach I think, something he got hit in the stomach, but I don’t know any — to the extent of it.”
Punter Jamie Gillan turned his ankle but returned to the game.
Offensive lineman Tyre Phillips missed the game with a leg injury.
“Yeah, he got dinged up,” said Daboll. “That was the leg I was telling you about in practice. I think I told you guys that one practice, him and someone had an ankle.”
